Map › USA › Arlington & Threemile Canyon › Arlington
Columbia River Gorge e laghi interni · Arlington, Oregon side of the Columbia River / Lake Umatilla · Arlington, Oregon
Arlington
also known as Arlington Marina, Port of Arlington Marina, Port of Arlington
Nearby Threemile Canyon 21 km · straight-line distance
On the clock
09:00 · 10:00 · 13:00 · 17:00
Afternoon-weighted. Nights and early mornings are the weak hours, it starts building around 09:00-10:00, and the strongest stretch runs from roughly 13:00 to 17:00 before it drops away in the evening. That is a tendency, not a timetable: this is a pressure-gradient westerly, so a spring or autumn system can hold it up all day, and a warm clear sky over Portland flattens the gradient and kills the afternoon instead. Indicative daily shape from reanalysis, not from the local sensor.
The marks are the clock times the record names, laid on a 24-hour day. The bar between the first and the last covers those hours; it is not a promise of wind.
The wind
locals call it Gorge westerly
Direction
Kite sizes
metres · typical quiver highlighted
Character
mixed
fills in: Afternoon-weighted. Nights and early mornings are the weak hours, it starts building around 09:00-10:00, and the strongest stretch runs from roughly 13:00 to 17:00 before it drops away in the evening. That is a tendency, not a timetable: this is a pressure-gradient westerly, so a spring or autumn system can hold it up all day, and a warm clear sky over Portland flattens the gradient and kills the afternoon instead. Indicative daily shape from reanalysis, not from the local sensor.
Typical strength
It takes 28+ mph on the Arlington sensor to build the swell the spot is known for, 32+ is better, and 38+ means big, smooth, glassy waves
Thermal or synoptic
synoptic and thermal Gorge westerly pressure-gradient wind
The quiver, in words
Small. The swell needs 28+ mph, which for most riders means 5-8 m.
Forecast
Month by month
- Jan10
- Feb25
- Mar, riders' month31
- Apr, riders' month33
- May, riders' month39
- Jun35
- Jul39
- Aug26
- Sep, riders' month28
- Oct, riders' month11
- Nov, riders' month15
- Dec6
windy days per month (3 h+ at 12 kn+)
Ringed months are the ones riders and schools name: Mar, Apr, May, Sep, Oct, Nov.
- 10%Jan
- 25%Feb
- 31%Mar
- 33%Apr
- 39%May
- 35%Jun
- 39%Jul
- 26%Aug
- 28%Sep
- 11%Oct
- 15%Nov
- 6%Dec
windy days per month (3 h+ at 12 kn+) · season highlighted
| Month | Windy days | Force 4+ | 12 kn or more | Knots | From | Peaks at | Air | Readings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 10% | 18% | 13% | 7.7 kt | W | 15:00 | 2.1°C | 62 |
| Feb | 25% | 35% | 32% | 10.4 kt | W | 14:00 | 4.8°C | 57 |
| Mar | 31% | 48% | 44% | 11.1 kt | W | 16:00 | 8.2°C | 62 |
| Apr | 33% | 52% | 50% | 12 kt | WNW | 16:00 | 10.8°C | 60 |
| May | 39% | 63% | 56% | 12.9 kt | W | 16:00 | 16.9°C | 62 |
| Jun | 35% | 58% | 50% | 12.5 kt | W | 16:00 | 21.8°C | 60 |
| Jul | 39% | 56% | 45% | 11.4 kt | W | 17:00 | 27.6°C | 62 |
| Aug | 26% | 53% | 37% | 11.3 kt | W | 16:00 | 26.4°C | 62 |
| Sep | 28% | 42% | 38% | 10.4 kt | W | 15:00 | 21.3°C | 60 |
| Oct | 11% | 27% | 23% | 9.1 kt | W | 15:00 | 14.8°C | 62 |
| Nov | 15% | 18% | 17% | 8.4 kt | E | 14:00 | 5.9°C | 60 |
| Dec | 6% | 15% | 10% | 7.3 kt | E | 14:00 | 3.4°C | 62 |
modelled
A weather model's cell over this place, not a station on it. Good for comparing places, weaker for one beach.
Modelled from the operational forecast archive at 1.5–7 km (2023-2024), daylight hours only, not a ground station: it resolves thermal, lake and valley winds far better than coarse reanalysis but still tends to understate a strong local thermal. A windy day has at least three consecutive daylight hours at 12 knots or more. The typical daily max and the direction are columns of the table above, month by month. Highlighted months are the riding season from the spot record.
High-resolution weather model (modelled) · Open-Meteo historical forecast archive — best-match operational model (ICON-D2 / AROME / ICON-EU / GFS by region), not a ground station · 2023-2024
The water
Type
waves
Standing depth
No. The launch is rock into deep water and the marina channel carries 24 ft alongside.
Tides
None. This is the John Day pool, the dammed reservoir called Lake Umatilla.
Temperature
21°C summer · 4°C winter
Wetsuit
Rubber is normal outside high summer; the Columbia near the John Day Dam averages about 21.5 °C in August and is far colder in spring and autumn, which is when the spot works best.
Currents
Moderate to strong, and stronger in spring with the runoff. It runs with the swell and against the wind, which is what stands the waves up.
Your level
The scene
What riders come here for
Launch and rules
three ways on to the water, and what each one asks of you
With a school or a boat
No school names this spot
Nobody has been recorded teaching or running a boat here.
On your own
Room to launch: tight
Somewhere else
Threemile Canyon, 21 km
Every spot within 40 km is on the map at the top of this page, with its distance under it.
Rescue
Launch
Rocky launch on the Arlington waterfront next to the port marina, dropping straight into the swell. When it is windy enough that the swell is breaking into the main launch there is a back way in. Parking is free and there are flush toilets and RV camping at the port.
Space
tight
Rules & access
Access rules drift faster than anything else we hold — check locally, and propose an edit if this has changed.
Rider tips
- Check the Arlington sensor against a western-Gorge station before you commit to the drive; this one reads high.
- 28 mph on the Arlington sensor is the working minimum for swell, 32+ is what you want, 38+ is the big glassy day.
- Scout your exit before you launch. Behind the breakwater into the boat ramp is the safe one.
- If the swell is breaking into the main launch, take the back entry rather than forcing it.
- Bring small kites: 5-8 m is what the 28+ mph this place needs works out to for most riders.
- The 9-mile downwinder from Blalock Canyon ends here, with the biggest swell in the last stretch and no road bail-out in between.
- If the launch looks beyond you, cross to Roosevelt on the Washington side for the same wind and an easier entry.
- Rubber up for the season, not the air: the river runs about 6 C in March, 10 C in April and 13 C in May, and only reaches 20-22 C from July to September.
- Camping is honour system. Envelopes are in the mailbox at the pay station east of the port office and the money goes in the locked box within half an hour of setting up.
Getting there
Airport
Portland International (PDX)
Route
Arlington sits on the south bank of the Columbia at Interstate 84 Exit 137, Columbia River Mile 241.3, where Oregon Route 19 drops down from the wheat country. It is about 215 km from Portland airport, a bit over two hours on I-84 with no stops, and The Dalles and Hood River are the last real towns on the way.Drive out when the forecast is cool, grey and wet in the western Gorge; I-84 carries on east toward Boise.
Transfer
140 min
Cost level
low
Staying
The Port of Arlington RV Park and Marina is the obvious base: full hook-ups, a paved dry-camping lot next to the boat ramp and showers, or a gravel lot on top of the jetty. The town had 628 residents at the 2020 census, so services are thin; most riders stay in Hood River or The Dalles and drive out.
No-wind days
Earl Snell Memorial Park for swimming and picnics, the marina, the town golf course, and the wind farms on the plateau above town.
FAQ
Is Arlington suitable for beginners?
No, the local Gorge launch guide lists Arlington as experts-only because the launch is rocky, sketchy, and directly exposed to swell.
When is the best time to kite at Arlington?
Best months are March through May and September through November, with westerly wind that can build large swell.
What are the hazards at Arlington?
The launch is rocky and exposed directly into swell, with moderate-to-strong current and large river swell reported.
Is there an access fee at Arlington?
As of 2025, the local Gorge launch guide lists Arlington access as free.
Last updated: August 2026